“Healthy mothers who are functioning well are more likely to take good care of their babies,” Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon told the ABC.

“Not a year goes by where we don’t learn more and more about the importance of the first 1000 days of a child’s life. They are critical in setting up a human being for good health for the rest of their life.”

Mr Gannon continued: “To identify women who might already be depressed, but at the very least identify that group of women who are at increased risk of postnatal depression, and invest wherever possible in preventing it happening.”